A Winter Rose
by NomitheNeko
Summary: A story of Rose's pregnancy and the birth of Steven Universe. Inspired by Iris - Goo Goo Dolls. Please review, I can't get better without your help! If you're wondering about the part that says "the silent baby" let me make it clear that he was still-born.


Greg and Rose had been living together in a house just outside of Beach City for about 9 years. Tomorrow was their anniversary since they had gotten married in 1990. Rose laid on the grass in front of their house in her jeans and light blue sweater. The weather had taken a winter like turn which was unusually late for March, even in Maine. Greg was coming home from work late as he honked his horn at his wife. She waved back at him and smiled her trademark goofy smile. "Groceries~!" he shouted toward her, opening the back of the van. She jumped up and ran toward him, meeting him with a kiss. She grabbed massive armfuls of the plastic bags and jogged up the stairs. Greg laughed and grabbed the last of the groceries and followed her up the stairs. He opened the door and noticed she had already put all the food away. "Geez, gimme a chance to catch up, Rose!" he laughed, scanning the living room and kitchen for her. He put what he had brought in away and walked into their bedroom. He noticed a large lump under the covers. "Man, the bed sure is lumpy today! I musts forgot to pound them out this morning! I better get to it!" he said loudly, flopping on the bed. Rose squealed and popped out from under the blanket, giggling. Greg wrapped his arms around Rose and kissed her. "You're such a dweeb!" she said, pinching his cheeks. She snuggled next to him on the now messy bed, "How was work?" Greg shrugged, "Coulda been worse, it got really cold, so I thought we were gonna have to close early but a TON of people came in today." Rose felt queasy, "Ughh, I've felt like crap all day. I think I'm sick..." she said, leaning on Greg's shoulder. "Are you okay? You feel really warm, Rose..." he said, brushing a stray curl behind her ear. Rose ran to the bathroom and started throwing up. Greg frowned and went to the kitchen. He got out a can of soup and heated it in a pan for Rose. She came out looking pale and exhausted. She staggered to the couch and laid her down. Greg poured the chicken soup into a bowl and handed it to Rose. She smiled and sipped the hot soup gently. "I'll take care of you, okay? They can live without me at the car wash for a few days." Greg assured her. Rose finished the soup and laid on the couch, dozing off. Greg covered her with her favorite blanket and headed off to bed.

Greg woke to shuffling and running in the house. He squinted at the clock, the red lights screamed at his eyes "6:47am." He sat up and flipped on the light switch. He crawled out of bed and went to check on Rose. She wasn't there, but he heard the sound of retching in the bathroom. "Poor Rose.." he thought, checking his phone. He had a missed phone call from the owner of 'It's a Wash!', "Great, I have to work today..." He knocked gently on the door, "Rose? I have to go to work today, sorry babe." He heard a sharp inhale, "N-no, it's okay. I'll be fine..." she called back to him. Rose wiped her mouth, "Must have been the soup, it's all I've eaten..." she thought. She flushed the toilet and looked at her reflection. Her skin was pale and her eyes looked sore and tired. She sighed, "I guess I have to go buy medicine." She pulled on one of Greg's old band shirts and tied her hair back in a loose, but still beautiful bun. She walked to the pharmacy down the road, waving at her neighbors and friends who lived in town. She walked in and smiled at the elderly woman at the counter. "Good morning, Rose! Nice to see you, as always." she called in a wise voice at Rose. Rose grabbed a basket from the stack by the door. She headed down to the aisle where the Tylenol were. She figured she would grab some other things while she was here. Normally, there was always one aisle she never used, the feminine heath aisle. Gems had no need for those things, after all. Her eye caught on something on the top shelf in that aisle, so she walked toward it. "It can't hurt to see..." she thought, laughing softly to herself. She checked out with her items and headed for home. She was nearly there when she saw Amethyst on the stoop, waiting for her. "Hey, Rose! Rose!" she shouted in her usual loud voice. Rose walked toward her and opened the door to her house. "How ya been, Rose? You haven't come to see us in a while." Amethyst said, helping Rose with her bags. "I've been busy, you know? Greg and I were thinking about adopting..." Rose said, taking out the bottle of medicine and taking two. "Adopting? You and Greg? Well, I guess if it's what makes ya happy, dude..." Amethyst joked, "I just came to see if you wanted to come by the temple next week, Garnet has a mission and we need you." Rose nodded hugging her Gem-sister goodbye. After Amethyst left, she took a deep ragged breath and took out her unexpected purchase. "I doubt it..." Rose thought, sitting it in the bathroom.

She cleaned up around the house to keep busy while she waited for Greg to get home. _Pat pat pat, pat pat pat. _She heard the sound massive snowflakes smacking against the window. Greg drove up and parked his car in the garage. "Thank goodness for the snow!" he huffed closing the door behind him. Rose kissed her husband and looked nervously toward the bathroom. "What's the matter? Are you feeling better?" he asked, pulling her closer and pressing his lips to her forehead. "I went out for medicine today and I bought something stupid..." she said looking at her feet. "It's okay, nothing you buy is stupid, honey. What was it?" Greg asked as he pulled off his wet work shirt and put on a dry one from the dryer. He heard her call for him and he walked toward her voice. She was hunched over in the bathroom holding something close. "What's that? What's wrong...?" he asked. No answer. "Rose, you're scaring me, what's going on...?" She started sobbing softly like a kitten, "Greg..." she muttered. She handed him the object she had been clutching. "Is this...?" he started, noticing the reading on the pregnancy test. "Two pink lines, Greg, two!" Rose said, smiling but still sobbing. Greg looked at the test again, as if it might change if he looked away, then back at Rose. She squeezed him tightly, still sobbing. "I didn't even know Gems could get pregnant..." Greg said, kissing his wife all over her face. "I'm so excited Greg, I've always wanted to be a mother." Rose said, wiping away her tears. "Happy Anniversary, Rose Quartz Universe." Greg whispered, holding his beautiful wife in his arms.

It felt like just yesterday to Rose that she found out she was pregnant. Her ever-swelling abdomen had begun to feel the growing infants tiny movements. Greg took some time off work until after the baby was born. The Gems warned Greg that they hadn't known a Human-Gem pregnancy and to keep a sharp eye on her, just in case. Greg drove Rose to her first ultrasound, "I think it's a boy.." Rose said. Greg grinned, "Really? What are we gonna name him?" he asked, stopping the van in front of the clinic. "How about... James?" Rose said, much to Greg's disgust. "Yuck, no, something sweeter!" he protested. Rose laughed and thought for a bit, "Hmmm, how about Steven? Steven Quartz Universe..," Greg smiled and kissed his wife. They headed in to her doctors appointment with a lot of excitement. After the nurses checked her overall health, she headed to the dark room where they kept the machine. Greg sat next to her and held her hand, kissing it gently. "What are you hoping for?" the technician asked them. "A boy." Rose said softly, making the technician smile. She scanned around the Gem on her navel, spotting the baby. Greg's heart skipped a beat as he saw his child on the monitor, curled up in a ball inside of his wife. The strong heartbeat could be heard from all the way down the hallway it was so loud. "Very strong! Want to know the gender?" she asked, looking at Greg and then at Rose. "Of course!" Greg said, looking at Rose's smiling face. "It's a healthy baby boy, you two." They hugged tightly and the technician wiped the goo from her torso. "I love you, Greg." Rose said, kissing the man of her dreams.

"Ouch." Greg heard one night from the other side of the bed. He sprang up, "What's wrong? Is it time?" he asked, looking alarmed. Rose shook her head, but winced in pain. She was nearing 9 months so Greg was on high alert. "He's just twisting and turning as always. He's excited to meet his Mom and Dad." she said, rubbing her stomach softly. Little Steven kicked and rolled back toward her hand. Greg laughed softy, kissing the large lump on her stomach. "I'm excited to meet you too, little Steven. I bet you're just as beautiful as your mother." he said to her swollen stomach. Rose blushed and kissed her husband. Greg sang Rose's favorite song, "Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls, to lull her back to sleep. Rose faded into a bright dream. "Mommy? Mommy?" she heard, but she couldn't find Steven, "Where are you Mommy?! I'm lost, Mommy, please help!" Rose tried to shout out to her son, but her voice had gone mute. A massive pink glow appeared in the thick darkness. "M-mommy?" the light called out, "I need you Mommy..." She heard a sharp scream that woke her up. The scream came from her. "Are you okay?!" Greg said, shaking her arms, "You're screaming, what's the matter?" She felt hot, like she was being struck by a thousand lighting bolts at once. "I-I'm fine, I just had a nightmare." Rose said, looking down at her stomach. It went still and she cuddled Greg until she slept soundly.

Rose was relaxing on the couch while Greg massaged her feet. "Ahh, that one hurt a lot." she said, clutching her sides. "He moving again?" Greg asked, looking at his wife's pained face. "It didn't feel like a move, something harder..." Rose winced, sharply inhaling and shouting in pain again. "C-can you get the phone... and call the Gems?" she asked, pointing toward the phone. Greg dialed Pearl's number and the hook rang once before she picked it up. "What's the matter?" she asked. "It's Rose..." Greg replied. The phone clicked and he hung up. "They're on their way, honey. I'm here." Greg said, rubbing Rose's hand. Amethyst, Garnet, and Pearl came in through the door and examined Rose. "Garnet..." Pearl started, but Garnet raised her hand to stop her. "We need to take her to the temple, I've set up a room for this." Garnet said, gently picking up her friend. Greg shook his head, watching Rose's face. "Do you mind if I drive her...?" he asked. Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl looked at each other. They nodded and Garnet put Rose down. "It hurts..." Rose winced, clutching her stomach tightly in the van. "It'll be okay, Rose. I'm here for you, I always will be. I love you." Greg said, squeezing Rose's hand tightly. Garnet picked up Rose and rushed her into the house on the temple. Garnet opened a secret door with her Gem. Greg, Amethyst, Pearl, and Rose followed Garnet inside. "Relax, please." Pearl said, lowering the hospital bed for Rose. "Ouch, ouch, ouch..." Rose shouted. "They're getting closer." Amethyst's voice called out softly to Garnet. Greg felt panicked, but kept cool for Rose. He knew if he started to panic, she would too. Amethyst said, "Greg, you might wanna leave for this part, it's about to get messy..." Greg looked at his wife, who still managed to smile. "I can't wait to meet Steven, I've been waiting for so long to meet our son." She said, smiling at Greg. "I love you forever, Rose. I just thought I should tell you... You're the best thing that's ever happened to me. He'll be as beautiful as you, I just know it..." Rose kissed Greg softly, "I love you forever, Greg."

Greg could hear Rose screaming in pain, it hurt him but he knew it would be worth it. The screams felt like they went on forever. It got quiet and he heard a sound like a soft muttering. "Greg!" Pearl shouted. Greg ran in the room to see Rose holding the small silent baby in her arms. "I'm sorry, Greg. There is no other way, I love you and I always will love you." Rose said, her body being enveloped by a bright pink glow. "N-no... no! NO!" Greg screamed, running toward her, but it was too late. Steven burst into screaming and crying, like a normal baby. Greg felt a soft presence around him and a soft, barely audible whisper, "I love you." followed by a light kiss. Greg burst into tears for what felt like hours. Pearl looked grim as she picked up the screaming child and calmed him. Garnet and Amethyst were still frozen. They wrapped themselves around Greg in a warm, but bittersweet hug. Pearl and baby Steven joined in as well. They wept in unison, holding Rose's one and only son in their arms. The snow began pounding the window outside with a _pat pat pat pat, pat pat pat. _


End file.
